


Do You See A Sparkle?

by Hellyjellybean



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben doesnt believe in Magic.... until he does, Ben is Lukes accountant and nephew, Ben isnt great at the feels but he will get your paperwork in order!, Could she be waiting for something or someone?, Cute, Escaping bouncy balls, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluffy, Friendship/Love, Love, Luke and Rey work in a magical toy store, Luke insists there is magic in Rey, Luke is Rey's boss, Luke is crossing over, Luke is leaving the store to Rey, Magic, Meant To Be, Mr Magoriums Wonder Emporium Reylo AU, One Shot, Rey doesnt want him to go, Rey is afraid she cant live up to his legacy, Reylo - Freeform, Soulmates, Special, Sweet, Why are Ben and Rey drawn to one another?, do you see a sparkle, like candy for your brain, magical toy store, romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:41:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24772543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellyjellybean/pseuds/Hellyjellybean
Summary: Luke owns a magical toy store, Rey his sort of adopted daughter, has worked there forever. When Luke tells Rey it is his time to cross over, Rey doesn't want to accept it. She cant run the store without Luke! She isn't magical. Luke insists she is. Sparks start to fly when Luke hires his estranged nephew Ben to help evaluate the stores value. Ben doesn't believe in magic but he does see something in Rey. When Luke passes, Rey is devastated and wants to sell the store. Can Ben persuade her not to?Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium Reylo AU. Enjoy!
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 33
Kudos: 132





	Do You See A Sparkle?

‘What do you mean you’re dying?’ Rey paced the floor of the toy store where she worked with her long time mentor and manager Luke Skywalker. He smiled at her. 

‘It’s my time, Rey, and there’s something else I need to tell you. I’m leaving the store to you.’

Rey’s mouth fell open. ‘I’m not ready.’ 

‘You are.’ 

‘Sir, I can’t run the store. It’s _your_ store.’ 

‘Not anymore. I have an accountant coming this very morning to evaluate the worth of my legacy to you.’ 

‘Stop saying things like that! I don’t want your legacy! You aren’t dying!’ 

Luke smiled sympathetically. ‘I’m sorry, Rey. I know this is sudden, but I am dying and you will have to run the store alone.’

Rey felt tears form in her eyes. How was this happening? That morning she was just sitting in her house practising her scales on her beloved piano and now she was finding out that her beloved boss who was practically a father to her was passing on? 

‘Are you sick?’ She whispered.

Luke shook his head. ‘No, my sweet. It’s just time for me to depart.’ 

‘Luke I can’t do this without you.’ 

‘You can. You’re ready.’ 

‘Has it escaped your attention that this is a magic toy store?’ Rey hissed, gesturing around her at the store full of toys and excited children. 

Luke looked amused. ‘It has not.’ 

‘Then are you completely oblivious to the fact that I am magic-less?’ Rey exclaimed. 

Luke smiled. ‘You’re wrong, Rey. It’s there, but for some reason, you’re fighting it.’ 

‘If I were like you, Luke, I would embrace it.’ 

Luke shook his head. ‘No, something is stopping you from reaching your true potential. I don’t know what it is exactly…’ 

Just then the little bell above the toy shop door tinkled and both Luke and Rey’s eyes were drawn to the entrance. A very tall, very handsome man in an impeccable suit stood in the doorway. He looked very out of place whilst children giggled and ran past him. He clutched his briefcase close to his chest as though it would protect him.

Rey laughed. ‘Who is that?’ 

‘That’s the accountant I’ve hired,’ Luke said with a smile. The tall man’s eyes settled on Rey. Her heart sped up as they observed each other. The man walked towards Luke.

‘Ahhh Ben!’ Luke said, holding out his hand. The man took it stiffly. 

‘Uncle Luke,’ he said with a quick nod. 

‘Uncle Luke?’ Rey parroted, her eyes wide.

‘Yes, this is my nephew, Ben Solo. Ben, this is Rey. She is the store manager.’ 

‘Sales assistant. _You_ are the manager,’ Rey stressed.

Luke rolled his eyes. ‘She is terribly stubborn. Much like you, Ben!’ 

Ben moved towards the counter Rey stood behind and held out his hand. Rey looked at it suspiciously before placing her hand in his. His skin was warm and his hand was surprisingly soft. Rey blushed as she reluctantly let go. 

‘Come Ben, I’ll show you through to the office,’ Luke said, leading Ben away. 

Rey was distracted by a tiny customer looking for a Peppa Pig annual, so she didn’t catch the look of longing Ben gave her over his shoulder as he followed Luke to the office. 

**********

  
Ben didn’t know why he had taken the job. He had barely spoken to his Uncle in years but his mother had been very keen and he did find himself with the time to take on a new client. The moment he walked into the tiny toy shop and his eyes settled on Rey, he was glad he had said yes. She was beautiful. A vision. She shone in the centre of the noisy chaos. His heart hitched in his chest and he had to fight to keep his composure. When he took her hand, he had to restrain himself to keep from tugging on her fingers to draw her closer for a kiss. This was the girl that his Uncle had taken in and cared for since she was 16? This was the tom boy his mother had mentioned to him over the years? His mother never once mentioned how breath-taking she was. But then, perhaps she did and perhaps Ben just hasn’t been paying attention. Well he was paying attention now. Big time. 

‘Here we are!’ Luke announced as they walked into the office. Ben looked around and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. There was paper everywhere and no clear filing system. 

‘Where are your receipts?’ 

Luke gestured around him. 

Ben’s mouth fell open. ‘You have got to be kidding.’ 

‘Fraid not, kiddo. Okay, I gotta get back to the store. Let me know if you need anything!’ 

Luke all but skipped out of the office leaving Ben wondering if this was all worth it. Then he caught sight of Rey through the office window handing a doll to a little girl and smiling in the most beautiful way, and Ben decided that it was worth it. He took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and got to work. 

**********

  
It was awfully distracting having a window into the office. Rey couldn’t stop looking at Ben as he worked through the disorganised mess of documents. He had rolled his sleeves up and there was something very tempting about his forearms. Rey bit her lip. 

‘Penny for your thoughts?’ Luke asked with a grin on his face. 

Rey blushed. ‘I’m just wondering if that shipment of Fireman Sam vehicles is due in today.’ 

‘Sure you were,’ Luke replied and made a face at the little boy standing at his feet. The boy laughed. Rey smirked. 

‘Okay, Joey, what can I get you today?’ Rey asked her favourite customer. 

‘I want a red ball please,’ Joey beamed.

‘Mmm…. this seems like a job for the big book.’ 

Rey bent down and pulled a large leather bound book out from under the cash register. She ran her fingers over the lettered tabs sticking out from the pages. 

‘Ahhh lets try B for ball.’ 

She selected the page and opened the book and just as she flipped open the page, a large, shiny red ball with the name Joey written on it in large yellow letters appeared.

Joey’s mouth fell open. ‘Miss Rey, you’re magic!’ he shouted.

Rey giggled. ‘Unfortunately not. It’s the book,’ she said as she handed Joey his ball. 

Luke smiled up at her. ‘You have the power, Rey. You’re just waiting for something or someon…’ 

‘Can I talk to you, Luke?’ 

Rey jumped as Ben suddenly appeared beside her. She hasn’t even heard him approach. 

‘Of course,’ Luke said and followed Ben back to the office. Rey watched them go with a curious look. She felt drawn to Ben and she wasn’t sure why. Her fingers tapped along the counter as though she were playing the piano as she daydreamed about the tall, stern accountant who had suddenly walked into her life. 

The day passed pleasantly for Rey, and soon it came time to close. Luke assured her that he wasn’t going anywhere yet and she gave him a big hug as she closed up. Ben emerged from the office and stretched his long arms. Rey tried not to stare. 

‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said as he headed for the door.

‘Wait!’ Rey called out and scurried after him. She placed herself infront of him and looked up into his beautiful dark eyes. For a moment she forgot what she was going to say. Then it came to her. 

‘Bouncy balls!’ she blurted out. 

Ben frowned at her. ‘What?’ 

Rey nodded towards his briefcase. ‘In there. We need to check for bouncy balls. They’re always trying to escape.’ 

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Ben said. 

Rey put her hands on her hips. ‘You do know this is a magic toy store, don’t you?’ she said.

Ben laughed. ‘Yeah sure and I’m the King of England.’ 

‘It’s true,’ Rey pressed.

Ben rolled his eyes at her. 

Rey pursed her lips. ‘You don’t see a lot do ya, Ben?’ 

‘I see what I need to.’ 

‘I don’t think that’s true.’ 

Rey grabbed his briefcase and placed it down on the counter. She clicked it open and out bounced ten multi coloured bouncy balls.

‘You are all very naughty!’ Rey scolded. She closed the case back up and handed it back to a stunned looking Ben. 

‘How did you put those in there?’ he asked her.

Rey sighed. ‘I didn’t, Ben. It’s a magical toy store.’ 

Luke chuckled. ‘You might as well give up, Rey. Ben has never believed in magic. He was always a very stern sort of fellow. Even as a child.’ 

Ben lifted his chin. ‘I trust facts and figures. They don’t let you down.’ 

The way he looked at Luke made Rey think there was a story there. Something that had caused a wedge between them and wasn’t quite forgotten even as they seemed to be patching up their relationship. Luke shrugged his shoulders and headed up the stairs at the back of the store to his apartment above the store. 

‘What’s the deal between you two?’ Rey asked as they left the store and she turned to lock up. 

‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ Ben said gruffly. 

‘Fine, see ya,’ Rey said as she headed down the street. 

‘Wait!’ 

Rey turned to look at him once more.

‘Can I walk you home?’ he asked. 

She didn’t know what cosmic force made her nod her head, but before she knew it they were strolling side by side along the pavement. For a while they were silent, but Rey soon got bored of that. 

‘I met your mother once, she seemed lovely.’ 

Ben smiled. ‘She is. She can be rather… domineering at times.’ 

Rey laughed. ‘Yes. She sure seemed to enjoy bossing Luke around.’ 

‘Have you and Luke talked about his… arrangements?’ Ben tested. 

‘Yes. But I’ve told him I don’t accept it. How does a person know when they are going to die?’ 

Ben shrugged. ‘He seems rather certain. Perhaps he has had a secret diagnosis.’ 

‘Well I don’t buy it. He can’t go. The store needs him.’ 

‘His will states that the store will pass to you.’ 

‘You’ve seen his will?’

‘Yes, it was mixed in amongst the receipts.’ 

‘I can’t run the store. I’m not magic.’ 

‘You don’t need magic to run a store, Rey.’ 

‘You do in order to run _that_ store, Ben. It’s a _magical_ toy store.’ 

Ben sighed. ‘Why do you keep saying that?’ 

‘Because it’s true! How did you miss everything that happened today? How do you explain the bouncy balls?’ 

‘A prank. A hazing ritual for the new kid.’ 

Rey shook her head. Ben was handsome and smart but he just didn’t get it. Which was disappointing considering her strong attraction to him. 

‘This is me,’ she said as they reached her apartment. 

Ben nodded. 

‘Well Goodnight,’ she said as she reached for the handle of her tiny flat. 

‘For what it’s worth, I think you are more than capable of running the store.’ 

At his words, Rey turned to look at him once more. 

‘Ben, when you look at me… what do you see?’ 

‘A beautiful girl.’ 

That wasn’t the answer she has been looking for but it drew a blush to her cheeks. She took a step towards him.

‘I mean, do you see anything… special? Do you see a sparkle?’ 

Ben frowned down at her. ‘A sparkle? Like a price of glitter?’ 

Rey’s heart dropped. ‘No, like something inside that’s fighting to break free.’ 

Ben didn’t answer.

‘Never mind,’ Rey said, she reached for the door once more. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Ben.’ 

‘Goodnight, Rey.’ 

**********

  
Ben took a taxi home. He lay his head on the back of the seat and sighed. Why couldn’t he have just lied and said he saw a sparkle? She had clearly been disappointed with his answer. He was such an idiot. Back at his apartment he made himself a tv dinner and ploughed through some more of Luke’s receipts he had taken home with him. Some of them were clearly fake. One thousand dollars for a magical doorknob? And six hundred pounds for a singing tea cup? Was Uncle Luke losing his mind? Or was this just another part of the prank he was playing. 

Luke had always been happier in his imaginary world than in the real one. Even after Ben had lost his beloved father, Luke had refused to let go of his ridiculous notions about Ben needing to awaken the magic within him. Ben rubbed his eyes and decided it was time for bed. As he lay down, he thought about Rey and he thought about the toy store and he thought about magic and he thought about sparkles or the lack thereof. In his dreams, he danced amongst the clouds with Rey in his arms. They floated weightlessly as they twirled across the skies. It was the first time Ben ever remembered a dream. 

**********

  
The next day, Ben spent most of his time locked in the back office. When he did peek out to try and get a look at Rey he was concerned to see the worried look on her face. 

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked coming towards her. 

Rey nodded to a corner of the store. The bright red paint was now grey. 

‘How did that happen?’ Ben asked. 

‘The store knows about Luke,’ Rey whispered. 

‘What do you mean?’ Ben asked.

Rey rolled her eyes. ‘The store knows that Luke is planning on leaving,’ Rey whispered. 

‘Oh don’t be silly, Rey. The store doesn’t know about Luke’s departure.’ 

Another wall turned grey. 

‘See!’ Rey said, pointing to the new colour drained area. 

‘That must have been there before,’ Ben offered. 

Rey threw her hands into the air. ‘You are so blind. Go away. You aren’t helping.’ 

Ben was hurt. Sure, he wasn’t buying into the stupid notion of the magical toy store but he was could still be useful. His approach was more about filling in the right forms than offering warm hugs, but producing the correct paperwork was infinitely more important than sharing body heat right? 

Still… he wanted to try the emotional support route. For Rey. He took a deep breath. 

‘Okay, let's say that you’re right. If the store is indeed sad about Luke’s…. plans then it needs to feel confident with his new owner. That’s you, Rey. You need to show the store you can and will look after it when Luke is gone.’ 

‘I can’t.’ 

‘Why not?’ 

‘I told you.’

‘What are you afraid of?’ 

‘That I’m not good enough!’ Rey shouted. The children stopped playing and looked at her. Rey hurried back to the counter. Ben followed. 

‘You’re good enough, Rey. You can do this.’ 

‘Why are you sure? You barely know me.’ 

‘I don’t know, I just have this feeling. I have a good feeling… about you.’ 

They looked at each other. Time seemed to stand still, until… 

‘Rey honey, could I have a moment?’ Luke asked, popping his head out of the book section.

‘Of course,’ Rey said, hurrying over to him. Ben watched her leave with a sad look on his face. 

‘Tonight is the night,’ Luke told her. 

Rey’s lip wobbled. ‘Don’t do this. Please.’ 

‘I have to Rey. It’s my time. I must go on to have another great adventure in the world beyond this one.’ 

The lights in the store flickered on and off. 

‘Do you see that? The store is devastated. You have to stay,' Rey pleaded. 

‘I cannot.’ 

Rey though for a moment. ‘Come with me.’ 

‘What?’ 

Rey took Luke’s hand and tugged him to the exit.

‘Ben! You’re running the store while we’re gone!’ she shouted back as they left. 

Ben blinked and looked around. Okay, he could do this. He placed himself behind the cash register. A child approached him. 

‘What can I do for you, Sir?’ Ben asked sternly.

The child fidgeted nervously. ‘Can I have a toy tractor please?’ 

Ben cleared his throat awkwardly, unsure what to say. What would Rey do? 

‘Miss Rey, always looks in the big book,’ the little boy said.

Ben looked down and sure enough there was a very large book sitting on a shelf under the register. Ben brought it up to the counter and noted the lettered tabs.

‘It’s T for tractor,’ the little boy said helpfully.

‘Thank you,’ Ben replied. 

He turned the pages to the letter T and suddenly a green tractor appeared in the centre of the book. Ben stepped back in surprise. The little boy clapped his hands, grabbed the tractor and shouted thank you as he ran off to play with his friends. 

Ben closed the book. 

‘I want a toy dog,’ he said, turning the pages to the letter D. This time a small white and brown yapping dog appeared in the centre of the pages. Ben jumped as the dog did a backflip in the air before landing down onto the book once more. 

‘It’s a magical toy store,’ Ben whispered to himself. 

‘Yup!’ Beamed a little blonde girl with ringlets in her hair. She pulled the dog into her arms and held it lovingly against her chest. 

Ben looked down at his hands. He felt something tingle in his chest. Could it be that Luke had been right all along? Did Ben indeed have magic within him? 

No one in the store noticed but part of the grey wall turned red once more as Ben began to believe… 

**********

  
‘Where are we going?’ Luke demanded as Rey dragged him along the path. 

‘I have something to show you,' Rey replied. 

‘What?’ 

‘You’ll see!’ 

Rey took him to a mattress store and they bounced on all of the beds much to the manager's horror, they bought balloons and gave them away to every child they saw, they ate ice cream until they felt sick, they played on the swings in the park, and danced to street music and paddled in a ancient water fountain, and laughed so much their cheeks hurt. 

Rey was confident that she had shown Luke what he would be missing. She was sure he would choose to stay and that’s why it hurt so much more when they returned to the store at the end of the day and he turned to her just before they entered and told her it had been the best last day ever. 

‘Don’t do this,’ she begged with tears in her eyes. 

Luke took her hands in his. ‘I will always be with you. I’ll always be with you both.’ 

Just then Ben opened the door and almost walked into them. ‘Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?’ he asked. 

‘No, not at all,’ Luke replied. ‘Well done for running the store today.’ 

‘Yes, thank you, Ben.’ Rey said. 

Ben smiled a crooked smile at her. He handed the keys to Luke. 

‘Why don’t you walk Rey home?’ Luke suggested. 

Rey gave Luke one last big hug, Ben shoved his hands into his pockets and gave his Uncle a small smile. 

‘I love you,’ Rey whispered in Luke’s ear.

He kissed her cheek. ‘I love you too, now off you go, Ben’s waiting.’ 

Luke smiled and waved and disappeared into the store. 

Ben and Rey walked in silence but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Rey was glad to have his company. 

‘It’s time isn’t it?’ Ben said when they reached her flat. Rey couldn’t speak without crying so she simply nodded. To her surprise Ben came towards her and wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her hair. Rey snuggled her face against his chest and closed her eyes. She felt instantly better, somehow instinctively knowing that everything was going to be okay. Ben let go and Rey smiled at him as she headed inside. She thought about Ben all evening and in her dreams she imagined he was there with her, holding her close and telling her that everything was going to be alright. 

**********

  
In the dead of night, Luke walked around the dark toy store.

‘You are too old to be acting like this!’ he scolded.

The shop creaked and groaned in response. 

‘Rey will take good care of you. Have faith in her. Have faith in them both,' Luke urged. 

He pulled the store deed out of his pocket and folded it into a paper plane. He launched it into the air and it flew in perfect circles around the room. Luke sat down on a wooden chair in the middle of the store. 

‘Goodbye, my love,’ he said, and as the deed floated gently down to land at his feet… he disappeared and the last of the colour drained from the store's walls.

**********

  
The next day, upon arriving at the store, Rey was plunged into despair. Luke was gone and it seemed as if the magic had died with him. When Ben arrived she told him that she planned to sell. 

‘Don’t sell the store,’ Ben pleaded as he followed her around as she tidied up the shelves.

‘I have to, Ben, you said it yourself. I have no sparkle.’ 

‘I didn’t say that. I just couldn’t see it but I’m an idiot. What do I know? I didn’t even believe the store was magical but I believe it now. I believe it with my whole heart.’ 

Rey stopped what she was doing and looked at him. ‘You really think I can do this?’ 

‘Yes, absolutely.’ he looked so sure, Rey almost believed him. 

She bit her lip and looked around. Everything was grey now. From the walls to the toys and even the light fixtures. 

‘Even if I do run the store, how do I fix this?’ she asked, gesturing around her. Ben scanned the room, then his eyes returned to hers. 

‘Pixie dust?’ He suggested with a grin.

Rey laughed and smiled at him. He smiled back. Her heart contracted. A shelf of toys suddenly burst into colour. Ben and Rey looked at it in shock. Then looked at each other.

‘Let me try something,’ Rey said. She took Ben’s hand in hers. As their fingers linked, the floor underneath their feet was transformed from dull and drab to a bright sea of colour. 

‘I wonder…’ Rey said, then she reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Ben’s. He was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he deepened the kiss. They stayed locked together like that for some time and when they parted, the store around them was exactly as it has been. Bursting with colour and movement. With their hands still joined, Rey and Ben smiled as they looked around.

‘Will you run the store with me?’ Rey asked. 

Ben nodded and Rey threw herself into his arms. Ben twirled her around and she giggled.

‘Luke said I was waiting for something. That I was holding my magic back for some reason. It was you, Ben. I was waiting for you.’ 

Ben stopped spinning and kissed her. ‘I buried mine deep down. I didn’t want to believe it was there. You made me see, Rey. You brought me back to life just as you brought this store back to life.’ 

‘We did that together,’ Rey said. 

They kissed again, then heard a knocking sound. They looked at the door where a small herd of children were excitedly peeking in through the windows, waiting to be allowed entry. Ben and Rey looked at each other and smiled. 

‘You ready?’ Rey asked as she led him to the door. 

‘Absolutely.’ 

Rey unlocked the entrance and the children spilled into the small space. Ben put his arm around Rey as they watched the children play. 

‘Do you think Luke knew? Do you think that’s why he brought us together?’ Rey asked. 

Ben nodded. ‘I think he did.’ 

‘I’m glad.’ 

Ben kissed her forehead. ‘So am I.’ 

Rey grinned up at him. ‘Okay, accountant, we've got a lot of training to get through, lets get started!' 

Ben saluted. ‘Yes Ma’am.’ 

Rey laughed and led him to the counter, and as she started to give Ben the same speech Luke had given her on her very first day in the store, she could have sworn she heard Luke’s soft chuckle in her ear and the sound made her smile. To think that he was still there, watching over them was a great comfort to her. 

The day was long and exhausting, but it was also one of the happiest days of Rey’s life. She already knew she would be with Ben forever and she was brimming with happiness as she closed up that evening and they walked together hand in hand to her apartment. 

‘I’m so glad you found your sparkle,’ Ben murmured, bringing her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to her skin. 

Rey smiled at him. ‘Don’t you know?’ 

‘What?’ Ben asked. 

Rey giggled and tugged him towards her. She pressed a loving kiss to his lips, then pulled away and rubbed her nose against his. 

‘You’re my sparkle, Ben. You’re what makes me shine, now and forever,’ she told him gently, before reaching up to kiss him once more. 

**********


End file.
